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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. race — humankind
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — rain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — a committee
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — to wash
  15. race — a contest
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — to get on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — music
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com